Bali - Destination Guide

Kuta Beach

Attractions

Denpasar

The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last quarter of a century. It now has all the bustle and confusion one associates with the fast-growing cities of Asia. While the traffic, noise and pollution make it a difficult city to relish, Denpasar still retains pleasant, tree-lined streets and gardens and is very much part of the 'real' Bali, given that tourists generally give it a wide berth.

The Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali consists of an attractive series of separate buildings, including examples of both palace and temple architecture. The exhibits themselves are not always well presented, but there are enough arts and crafts and everyday items displayed to make it worthwhile. The tiny cane cases for transporting fighting crickets are pretty special. The Taman Wedhi Budaya arts centre houses a collection of modern painting and woodcarving. Dancing groups and gamelan orchestras perform occassionally, mostly for the benefit of tourists.

Denpasar is in the south of Bali, about 10km (6mi) northeast of Kuta.

Gunung Batur

The volcanic cone of Gunung Batur and the lake that fills half of the surrounding caldera form one of Bali's most spectacular landscapes. Climbing Batur (1717m/5631ft) to see the sunrise is a magnificent experience, but be prepared for damp, cold and cloudy conditions and some aggressive souvenir sellers. Gunung Batur is in northern Bali, approximately 35km (22mi) north of Ubud.

Click here for hotels in Ubud

Kuta Bay

Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian, this area has been a major drawcard for travellers for more than 25 years, offering cheap accommodation, Western food, great shopping, surf, sunsets and riotous nightlife. However, the events of October 2002, when nearly 200 people were killed after the bombing of the Sari and Paddy's nightclubs, put a severe dent in tourist numbers and the businesses that relied on them. Things are slowly recovering - the Sari nighclub re-opened in July 2003 - and tourist numbers are picking up, but the jury is still out on whether Kuta will ever be the same again. Some would say that's no bad thing - Kuta was long been disparaged for its rampant development, low-brow nightlife and crass commercialism.

That said, Kuta is not pretty but it's not dull either. It's still the best beach on Bali, with the only surf which breaks over sand instead of coral. Lots of cheap accommodation is available and there's a huge choice of places to eat. Shops and hawkers offer everything from fake flimflammery - laid out in boxes that open like jaws as you approach - to genuine antiques offered with a considerably softer sell. Even the tourists themselves have become a tourist attraction, with visitors coming from Java to ogle the topless bathers, and from other resorts to tut-tut at the tackiness of it all. And despite all the excesses, away from the traffic-clogged streets Kuta is still a village: a place of quiet compounds and narrow alleys, where devotional offerings are placed in front of houses and neighbours emerge in the coolness of the evening to gossip in the street.

Behind the beaches, labyrinthine roads and alleys lead back to the most amazing clutch of hotels, restaurants, bars, food stalls and shops. The renowned Poppies Gang, running directly back from Kuta Beach, is where most of the quieter, inexpensive hostels and restaurants are located. Cheap beachfront accommodation is available in Legian; the lanes running parallel to the beach are the best places to start trawling for a decent bed.

Kuta Bay is in the south of Bali, about 10km (6mi) southwest of Denpasar. Nearby, to the north is Sanur, an upmarket alternative to Kuta; Nusa Dua, to the south, is an upmarket alternative to Sanur. Ulu Watu, on the southern tip of Bali, is the island's most famous surfing spot.

For hotels in and around Kuta try; Kuta, Legian, Seminyak or Tuban

Ubud

Situated in the hills 20km (13mi) north of Denpasar, Ubud is the serene cultural centre of Bali. Extensive development in recent years has meant that Ubud has engulfed a number of nearby villages, although these have retained their distinct identities. Head off in any direction and you're in for an interesting walk to a secluded craft hamlet, through the rice paddies or into the dense Monkey Forest, just south of the town centre.

In Ubud itself, the Puri Lukisan Museum displays fine examples of all schools of Balinese art in a beautiful garden setting. There are several other quality galleries such as Neka Gallery, which features work of some Western artists who have painted in Bali, and Agung Rai Gallery, a commercial operation which also houses a small, but important, permanent collection. The homes of influential Western artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, who played key roles in transforming Balinese art from the purely decorative, can also be viewed. Ubud is a good place to see Balinese dancing and hear Balinese music, and it has some of the finest restaurants on the island.